Adventures on the Lost Coast

Ammunition and Spell Components

While some GMs may enjoy all the accounting details that come with tracking every arrow, bolt, shot, or spell component, I prefer a more cinematic approach. In essence, your characters can be considered to have an endless supply of ammunition of spell components. There are, of course some rules and exceptions to this. These rules and exceptions are listed below.

Ammunition

Ammo Cost: When creating your character, purchase 1 quiver’s (or appropriate vessel’s) worth of ammunition. The price of this ammunition is your Ammo Cost. Pay your Ammo Cost at the beginning of each session. For that session, you can assume that you have an endless supply of ammunition, within limits1. In cases where very little ammunition was expended during the session, you may petition to have this Ammo Cost refunded at the end of the session.

Special Ammunition: Special ammunition, such as magical, masterworked, or silvered ammunition, is exempt from the above rule. Such ammunition must always be tracked and paid for.

Ammo Critical: When it is dramatically appropriate, the GM can raise the Ammo Critical flag. When the Ammo Critical flag is raised, your character will have only your current quiver’s worth of ammunition. Your ammunition must be tracked precisely. The Ammo Critical flag is raised in situations where resupply is impossible (cave-ins, washed-out roads, imprisonment etc.). When the Ammo Critical flag is lowered, you no longer have to track your ammunition.

Spell Components

Component Cost: The Component Cost is the same as a Spell Component Pouch (5 gp). Pay your Component Cost at the beginning of each session. For that session, you can assume that you have an endless supply of components2. In cases where very few spells were cast during the session, you may petition to have this Component Cost refunded at the end of the session.

Special Components: Certain spells require more expensive components or focii. These will be noted in the Core Rulebook, and other Pathfinder sourcebooks. If there is an associated cost to the spell component (say, an onyx worth at least 1000 gp), it must be appropriately tracked and acquired. A wise player playing a spellcaster is well advised to create a list of expensive components and focii for handy reference when plundering a treasure hoard.

1 This is to prevent, say the continuous bombardment of a target for hours upon end, on a single quiver of arrows. Your Ammo Cost covers only ammunition used in personal fights.

2 This represents components for spell use only. You cannot built a giant sandcastle made from bat guano.